Don't Wanna Lose You Now
by Heroine of the Valley
Summary: Takari Songfic with Backstreet Boy's "Don't wanna lose you now."


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Don't Wanna Lose You Now

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Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon (drag) and neither do I own Backstreet Boys (double drag).

Kari peeked out the curtain while the other school dance team was dancing. She saw a lot of people out there and she couldn't help but think that she was gonna blow everything. Let her whole team down, the school, and TK. TK sat in the front row, center seat with her camera. He smiled and took her picture. She made a playful-angry face and waved at him. He mouthed good luck to her. Kari blew him a kiss. TK blushed and waved back.

Sitting behind TK, Davis thought the kiss was for him. "Wow, Kari blew me a kiss!" He blew one back to her, "I love you too, Kari!"

Kari chuckled and sighed, _Oh Davis, you are one funny guy. _

TK's eyes narrowed and he turned around sharply, "actually, you blockhead, Kari meant that for me!"

"Nuh-uh, it was for me!" Davis argued.

"Davis, don't be so dense!" TK growled, "You know I'm the one who's dating her!"

"So? She blew the kiss to me!"

"No she didn't! She blew it to me!"

"She did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!" 

"Did not!"

"Yes she did!" Yolei cried, elbowing him in the ribs. "I saw it too."

"I also witnessed the kiss," Cody added. "It was aimed right at TK."

"Thank you!" TK said to Cody and Yolei and then he pointed to them as he sneered at Davis, "see that? They saw it too!"

"Man," Davis groaned, "why does Kari hate me!"

"She doesn't hate you, Davis," TK said, about to laugh, "she just—well, she just likes me more!"

Davis snarled under his breath and clenched his teeth, unable to say a word.

"TK, hush—our school is next!" Yolei hushed, pointing to the school name in the program.

"Come on Kari," the co-captain of the dance team, Janie said, touching her shoulder, "we're on!"

"If we win this dance competition--we'll be state champs—if not—we—," Kari was cut off.

"Hey," Janie tugged her to the stage, "we'll do our best. Just dance, isn't that what you tell us to do at practice anyway?"

"Yeah," Kari forced her school spirit, "okay, everyone, tiger circle, tiger circle!" all the dancers came forward to put their hands in the circle, "Dance, tigers, dance!"

"That was the Highton View Terrace Cougars everyone," the announcer announced, "now get ready for the dancing Odiabia tigers!"

"Go tigers!" people cheered.

"Go Kari, I love you!" Davis cried.

TK turned around and sneered. Davis sneered back.

The curtains opened to reveal the Lady Odiabia Tigers. They wore black and orange dancing outfits. The outfits were sleeveless and the pants came to their ankles. Kari was in the middle and the others were behind her in a V form. They were kneeling and after eight counts, Kari stood up followed by the rest after each two counts. Kari put everything in each move. So did everyone on the whole team. They danced hard. Everyone was cheering them on. When their routine was over, Kari and her team was panting like crazy. 

"Odiabai tigers everybody!" the announcer said, "now give it up for the Yokohama bears!"

The Yokohama bears had the best soccer, basketball and dance team. Everyone hated competing with them. Their routine was flawless. It made Kari sick to her stomach to watch them. _Months of practicing wasted…_ she thought to herself. People clapped and Kari forced herself to applaud them, nodding to her teammates to join in the applause. Then after they were finishing dancing, there was an intermission as the votes were being counted.

"There's no way we'll win against them," Kari whispered to herself.

"Hey, Kari!" TK cried, opening his arms for her to jump in them, "you were great!"

Kari jumped into his arms and he swung her around. "Thanks, TK," Kari said, "but we have to wait until the judges make their decision." She looked at her feet.

"What's wrong?" TK asked, noticing that she looked upset.

"Attention, everyone," the announcer said, "I have the winner of the cometition."

"I'd better go," Kari said and pulled herself up on the stage and stood by the other dance captains of the other schools. Some girls said good luck and others stood waiting impatiently for the restults.

"Third place," the anouncer said, opening the evelope, "Highton View Terrace!"

The captain of Highton View Terrace smiled and went to take the trophy and went back to her spot.

"Second Place---"

Kari closed her eyes, _Yokohama, Yokohama, Yokohama…_

"Odiabai High!"

Kari wanted to scream as she opened her eyes. She forced herself to smile and look happy but inside she was very upset. She took her trophy and went back to her spot.

"First Place--"

Kari closed her eyes again, _anything but Yokohama, anything but Yokohama, anything…_

"Yokohama High!"

The captain of Yokohama squealed and jumped as she pranced to get her trophy. The rest of the team ran to help pick it up. Kari wanted to scream, to run out of there, something, but she couldn't. She stood there and watched the Yokohama bears get their yucky little hand prints all over the trophy that she and her team worked so hard to win. The Yokohama bears started posing for their pictures with the trophy and Kari left to show her teammates the trophy they won. Second Place, Second Place. Kari couldn't believe it. She worked so hard. So very hard and what did she get? Second Place! Now she was no longer worthy to be the captain of the dance team, no longer worthy to even dance anymore. She couldn't stand to be around TK either. He wouldn't want to be with her after the way she failed. And even if he acted like he didn't mind, he really wanted her to win first place.

"Come on Kari, picture time!" Janie grabbed her arm and the Odiabai tigers got in formation for their picture. Kari didn't want to smile and didn't at first. The photographer had to prompt her to smile. Kari curled her lips up and hoped that the photographer would hurry up.

"Good job, Kari," TK said, "I'm very proud of you!"

"Yeah," she mumbled, "but I wish that Yokohama didn't get in our way. We tried so hard."

"You did your best, Kari."

"Yeah," Davis came to Kari's side and patted her back, "maybe Yokohama cheated somehow."

"Davis!!" TK snapped and pushed Davis away. He put his hands on her shoulders, "you did your best. There's always next year, right?"

"Right…let's just go, okay?" Kari said, "I'm pretty tired."

"Sure," he wrapped his arm around her. "You had a pretty full day."

That night, Kari couldn't sleep at all. How as she going to go to school the next day and face everyone? Sure, at the competition, they hollered and cheered for the dance team, but they'll still resent the dance team for not being the best. No one could beat Yokohama. They were the perfect team. Kari clutched her pillow. "I can't take it…tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll change. Everything will be different."

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I never thought that I would lose my mind

That I could control this

Never thought that I'd be left behind

That I was stronger than you, baby

Girl if only I knew what I've done

You know, so why don't' you tell me

And I, I would bring down the moon and the sun

To show how much I care.

"You what?" TK gasped, backing up. He couldn't believe what Kari had said. "K-Kari, you, you?"

Kari nodded, "yes."

Getting over his shock, he walked back to her and wrapped his big hands around her arms. "Kari, why? What'd I do?" he asked, "please, tell me. If I--"

"TK, it's just better this way, okay?" she said, moving her arms up to push his arms down. She stepped back as he walked to her. She held her arm up to keep him from getting closer, "I'm sorry, TK. But we're both two busy, okay? You with your basketball practices and your new job at that new restaurant downtown and me with my dancing and photography courses, we'll just won't have enough time for each other."

"Oh, Kari, that never bothered us before," TK said, "please don't do this, Kari." He tried to take her in his arms but she pushed him away.

"No, TK! I just want to be alone!" Kari screamed, "you'll understand, TK. I have a lot to figure out and I'll just get in your way."

"I can't believe this," TK groaned, "you're serious, aren't you? Why Kari?" he begged, "why? I just don't understand, we were getting along great. Hey, does this have anything to do with the dance competition?"

Kari turned around and faced the inside of her locker.

"It is, isn't it?" TK touched her shoulder, "I'm right, aren't I? Hey, you can't beat yourself up like that, Kari. You did your best and---"

Kari slammed her locker door. "I'm a failure!" she turned around and pushed him, "TK, I would have won the competition if I wasn't spending so much time with you!"

TK's eyes widened, "You don't, you can't mean that, Kari."

"Oh, yes I do!"

"Kari, please."

"Oh, just get away from me, okay, TK?" she cried, "you're making this too hard! We're over and that's, that's all! You'll just get in the way!" she stormed down the hall.

"Hey, Kari, what's--"

"Get out of my way, Davis!" Kari snarled, pushing him out of the way.

Confused, Davis stepped to the side. He saw a confused and hurt TK starting to elave the scene, "Hey TJ!"

"It's TK," TK grumbled.

"What happened?" Davis demanded, running to his side and getting in Kari's face, "what's wrong with Kari? What did you do to her!? If you--"

"Shut up, Davis!" TK snapped, "we just broke up, okay?" TK's voice broke on the last word, "so I guess I got what you wanted, huh? And I don't know what happened! I think Kari's just upset because she got second place at the dance competiton and she worked so hard to get first."

"Oh man," Davis' face became solemn, "I'm sorry, TK, I didn't mean to--"

"Just get out of my way," TK stepped around him, "I need to be alone."

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Don't wanna lose you now

Baby, I know we can win this

Don't wanna lose you now

No, no, or ever again

The next few days was torture for TK. His basketball skills were divided as he put less and less of himself in each practice. He just didn't care anymore. He kept wondering what he done wrong. Maybe it really wasn't the dance competition. Maybe he messed up with Kari. Maybe he just wasn't good enough for her. But he tried, he really did. Since the first time he met her, he tried his best to take care of her. Even being a little kid himself back then and not knowing enough, he really did what he could.

When TK passed Kari in the halls, she didn't even look at him. He looked at her face every time and wanted to reach out and pull her in his arms. But when he passed her and nearly turned the corner, he didn't know that she looked back at him with tears in her eyes. She wanted to be with him just as much.

Every chance he got, TK would pull out his picture of Kari and look at her. Even during a class when the teacher was talking. He tried writing her notes and popping them in her locker. He asked for forgiveness and asked if they could talk. But she probably never read them because he hadn't heard from her. He thought she threw them away as soon as they saw they were his. Kari did, though, read each one and saved them. 

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I've got this feeling you're not gonna stay

It's burning within me

The fear of losing

Of slipping of way

It just keeps getting closer, baby

Whatever reason to leave that I've had

My place was always beside you

Ad I wish that I didn't need you so bad

Your face just won't go away.

TK tried to make himself feel better by running to the basketball courts and shoot some hoops. He tried his best to forget all about Kari, but couldn't. The ball kept bouncing off the rim. He bothered not to go get it the last time and rested his forehead on the pole. He heard the ball stop bouncing as someone picked it up.

"TK, we gotta talk, man." It was Davis.

TK groaned. He was not in the mood to talk to Davis. "What?"

"Well, you look really bummed and so I thought that some good male bonding would cheer you up," Davis dribbled the ball as he walked to him. "Come on, whaddya say? Let's go one on one."

TK sniffed and turned around. _Why is Davis being so nice right now? What does he want?_ "Well, okay." _At least we're not at each other's throats._

Davis passed the ball to TK and TK passed it back. Davis started to dribble around TK and easily made a basket. "Come on, Taikaishi, this is your game!" Davis teased. "Wake up!"

"Cut it out, Davis," TK grumbled, taking the ball away while Davis was carelessly dribbling it. TK made a basket. "Why are you here anyway?" TK got his basketball skills back and was playing like a man on fire. He wouldn't let Davis get the ball, like he would never let him have Kari.

"I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry about what happened between you and Kari, that's all." Davis chided. 

"Oh please, spare me Davis!" TK finally got fed up and threw the ball to the ground. It bounced up high and started to roll around. "You were after Kari since day one! I see the way you look at her now that we're not together anymore! What's keeping you, Davis? How come I haven't heard you're not taking her out yet!"

"Hey," Davis picked up the rolling ball, "Kari's really upset and I just want to give her some time to think things through. I don't want to take her out if she's not her happy go-lucky self." He cocked his head, "you miss Kari, don't you? I guess that's why the basketball team's getting worse."

"I really don't care about that, Davis." TK snorted.

"You don't?" Davis asked.

"I don't care about the team or my grades. I don't care about anything." TK crossed his arms and turned his back to him.

"Oh, really?" Davis demanded. "Well, I suppose you don't' care that Kari's _missing_?!"

"Missing, huh, what?" TK turned back around. "What do you mean, Kari's missing?"

"You didn't get Yolei's email, did you?"

"What email?"

"Yolei and Kari was supposed to meet together for some kind of project and Kari didn't show up. Yolei emailed us all to ask if we've seen her. You didn't get it?"

TK shook his head.

"Yolei's pretty freaked out," Davis said, "they're best friends. You should be worried about Kari too."

TK said nothing.

"Well, you are, aren't you?" Davis shouted, grabbing TK by the shirt.

"You came here to ask me about how I feel about Kari?" TK demanded, "Davis, I'm not going to discuss that with you!"

"Oh come on, TK!" Davis snapped, "I know you still feel for Kari. Even though I still tease you two, I think it's better that you stay together."

"Huh? But you've always been jealous of me."

"And I always will be," Davis finally let go of TK's shirt. "But Kari doesn't want me. I know that. I just like, well, I like flirting with her still. I consider her a great friend and now she's gone!"

TK took off, "I gotta go."

"We're you goin'?" Davis ran after him.

"To find Kari!"

"But how, man?" Davis called, "you don't' have your D3 with you! How do you expect to find her alone? It's hopeless, man!"

TK turned sharply and pushed Davis back. "Hopeless? Hopeless?!" TK pushed him again, "what do you mean, it's hopeless? Listen, I've seen things that were hopeless too! I thought it was hopeless to ever think I'd get back home since my first trip in the digiworld! And I thought it was hopeless to think that I'd see all my friends when we got separated too! I also thought it was hopeless that we would beat the dark masters and guess what happened? I kept hoping that everything would turn our right and that's how it turned out! So don't' tell me that it's hopeless that I'll find Kari because you know I will! After all, that's why I own the crest of hope!"

"Whoa, take it easy, TK!" Davis said, pushing his hands down, "I only meant it would be easier if I helped you."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, let's split up!" Davis offered, "I'll go check all the places Kari likes to hang out."

"But Davis," TK sighed, "you _don't _know all the places she likes to hang out."

"Listen, TK! I care about Kari just as much as you do!" Davis barked, "let's just go find her before something happens to her, okay?"

"You're right," TK nodded, "let me know if you find her, okay?"

"You do the same." And they both split up to look for Kari.

TK did not have a picture of Kari on him. It would be easier to use if he asked people if they've seen her. But he had no pockets on his shorts. Neither did he have his D3 terminal. Pinpointing her would be nearly impossible in Tokyo. TK decided to check her apartment for clues. So what if he didn't' have a photo or his D3? He didn't need them. He was going to find Kari with his hope alone.

"Hey, Kari, are you home?" he rang the doorbell ten times and knocked on the door. No one came up to answer. He tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. Who would leave the door unlocked if they weren't home? He went inside, afraid of what he might find. Perhaps there was a break in and--"Kari!!?" Panicking, he ran into the living room. There was no signs of a break in. The living room looked as clean as it always has been. He checked her room and it was a mess. "Hey, Kari?"

Kari's room had papers all over it and her drawers were left open. Articles of clothing was missing from each one. Her backpack and coat was gone. A dreadful thought entered in TK's mind, "oh no, she wouldn't! Kari wouldn't' do that!"

"What the hell?" he heard Tai scream. "What's goin' on, whoa, TK! You'd better have a good reason for being here!"

"Kari's, she's, she's gone!" TK cried, "do you know where she could be?"

"No," he looked Kari's room over, "man, and I thought I was unorganized!" 

"I'd better get out of here," TK yelled, nearly knocking Tai over.

"Hey, where you going?" Tai kept him from leaving.

"I have to find Kari, okay?" TK shouted, "she's missing! I have to find her!"

"I'm coming with you!"

"No, Tai. Davis is already helping me."

"Dammit, TK! She's my sister!"

"I know that, but," TK sighed, "it's best you stay here just incase she comes back. Besides, it's really important that I'm the one who finds her. I don't know if she's told you this but…well…we broke up."

"If you hurt my sister…" Tai threatened.

"No, she's upset about the dance competition. That the team didn't get first place."

"Yeah," Tai nodded, "she won't talk to anyone about it." Tai sighed and shrugged. "You're right. I'll stay here incase she calls or comes home. Just find her, okay?"

"Hey, I'll search everywhere until I find her." With that, TK left to find Kari. 

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Don't wanna lose you now

Baby I know we can win this

Don't wanna lose you now

No No, or ever again

TK looked everywhere. He tried the places Kari liked to go. The dance clubs, Yolei's store. Yolei found her a job over there. But Kari wasn't there. He tried his work. When he finally thought that he wouldn't find Kari, he passed the subway. An uneasy feeling came over him. "She wouldn't." He ran down the steps and looked at everyone. People were boarding the subway. He saw a girl with short light brown hair with a pink backpack getting on the train. It was Kari. "Kari!!" he cried, running through the crowd. "Kari, wait!"

Kari heard him but kept walking. _Go away, TK._

Don't wanna lose you now

Baby, I know we can win this

Don't wanna lose you now

No no, or ever again

"No, Kari! Don't get on that train!" He grabbed her arm and whipped her around. "Are you out of your mind? What are you trying to do?"

"I'm running away."

"To where?"

"I'll find out when I get there."

"Dammit, Kari!" TK groaned, "you know better than to split! What about your parents and Tai? What about all your friends? What about me?"

"TK, just let me go."

"No!" he tightened his hand around her arm, "never! I'm not leaving from this spot without you! Come on Kari, I care a lot about you! You know that! I always have, since the first time I saw you!"

"We were only--"

"I don't' give a damn if we were only kids!" TK hollered, "I did everything I could to take care of you. Remember when we all split up during the fight with the dark masters? You remembered that? The time you got sick?"

"I remember."

"I stayed there right by your side. I wasn't going to move until you woke up."

"I was asleep for a long time," Kari said.

"Yes, you were," TK laughed, "but it didn't matter to me. I didn't want to leave until you woke up. I was just terrified when you got sick. I felt so helpless. I was mad at first when Tai wouldn't let me go with him and Izzy to find medicine but then he let me stay and watch over you. I guess I'd rather stay and watch you than go look for medicine."

"TK--I have to go," she edged toward the doors of the subway.

"No way, Kari! If you go, then," TK said, trying to think of what to say, "then, then, I'm coming with you!"

"What?" she nearly cracked up laughing.

"There's no way I'm letting you split alone. Who's gonna take care of you?" he demanded, "Gatomon? Sorry, Kari, Gatomon is in the digiworld right now!"

"There's no other place I'd rather be than with you, Kari. I wouldn't forgive you if you left by yourself and I wouldn't forgive me either." He squeezed her hand, "I just couldn't stand if something happened to you, Kari. I'd never forgive myself."

"You're nuts, I can take care of myself!" she tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

"You know that this isn't right, Kari," TK said. "Look at me and tell me you want to be alone. Look at me, Kari."

She sighed and looked down and away.

"Look at me!"

She muttered under her breath and raised her eyes at him. "What?"

"Tell me that I was no good." TK told her. "Tell me what I've done wrong and then I'll let you go. I care just so much about you to let you go. I'd just fall apart if something happened to you. I want to know what I've done wrong. Is it because I used to be a crybaby when I was little or I watched too many movies or video games or I play too many sports or what? Come on, Kari, tell me what I've done!"

"NOTHING!" Kari blurted, making him stop. "You did nothing! You're right, I'm still upset of that dance competition. It kills me that I worked so hard for first and I got second. Second place! Do you know how that makes me feel?"

"Forget about that, Kari! Just forget about that!" he cupped his hands around her face, "take a bite of the Mushroom of Forgetfulness and just forget about what happened back there. There's nothing you can do about it, Kari."

She raised an eyebrow, "What? Mushroom of Forgetfulness?…"

"It's just an expression," he sighed, remembering that she wasn't there to hear about the mushrooms of forgetfulness.

"Hey, so what if you made just second place in that silly dance competition? You did your best and I'm proud of you." He pulled her in his arms, "and besides, you'll always be number one to me."

"Please don't get on that train," TK begged, "I don't wanna lose you now."

_I never thought I would lose my mind_

That I could control this

Never thought I'd be left behind

That I was stronger than you

Girl, I know we can win

Don't want to lose to loneliness

Don't want to end to emptiness, oh no 

never again

Kari took another look at his gorgeous blue eyes. _What am I doing?_ She thought. _ I cant' leave now. I need to finish school. I still have a lot of people who depend on me, my friends, my family---TK. How could I be so selfish to leave TK?_

"Don't go," he murmured, "don't leave me, Kari. Come on, you're smarter than to just run away."

__

Don't wanna lose you now

Baby, I know we can win this

Don't wanna lose you now

No no, or ever again

"Let's go eat or something," TK joked. "For Pete's sake, Kari, you know you don't want to do this."

Kari nodded, "you're right, TK."

"Of course I'm right," he laughed.

"I don't know what got into me," she groaned, "I'm so sorry. I was going to do it too! There must be something very wrong with me!"

"Hey, don't be like that," he rubbed her arms, "you just got upset. Winning that competition meant a lot to you. You tried, okay?"

"Yeah I tried."

"Come on, let's go," he led her away from the subway. "I need you, Kari."

"And I need you too." She kissed him and he held her tight for a while. With his arm around her shoulders, they walked up to the street and TK made sure that Kari would never split like that again.

__

Don't wanna lose you now

Baby, I know we can win this

Don't wanna lose you now

No no, or ever again

****

End


End file.
